Chapter 4

Victoria woke up slowly. Her feet felt cold. The rest of her body felt wonderfully warm and treasured. Diego held her tight to his chest and acted as a human stove.
When Diego noticed she was awake, he ran his lips over her neckline. "I'm so glad it was not a dream. I love you, Victoria. My God, I love you." He buried his face in her hair.

Victoria slid forward slightly and rolled on her back to face Diego. "It's morning," she whispered.

"Yes, indeed. We have to get back to reality."

"Do we really have to? Suppose we go back to Santa Paula? We can apply for a permit and get married. We should indeed keep it a secret but, in word, we would be together. Nobody expects us back so soon."

Diego propped his head under one hand with the other hand, he stroked her shapes. Waking up every morning next to Victoria, what a prospect. "I like your idea. At the moment, I fear it is impossible."

"Why? No one expected we would talk to the emissary as soon as we did. No one will get suspicious when we don't return for the next day or two."

"You have a point. However, two reasons weigh more heavily.
The first is my father. If we got married without telling him, he would never forgive me.
You will have to give him at least half a dozen grandchildren before he is even to consider forgiveness."

Victoria giggled. "Only so few?"

Diego smiled at her, looking forward to the idea of having children. "Maybe you are already pregnant."

"Would you mind?"

"Of course not. I actually hope to have children almost as much as my father is. It will complicate things when it does turn out you are pregnant before we can get married. But none we can't solve." He gave her a quick kiss.
"The second reason is those men who were at the gate yesterday. I don't trust them.
If you hadn't insisted on accompanying me, I probably would have gone out as Zorro to find out what they were up to and left for Santa Paula today. As you said, my father doesn't expect us back for at least a day or two, so I could have easily left a day later hadn't you been there."

Victoria looked at him thoughtfully. "Is that why you insisted on returning yesterday?"

"I'm afraid so. You were right when you said a storm was approaching. I saw it too, though I denied it to you. I hoped that it would not be too bad and that we could stay ahead of the storm."

"I'm glad it caught upon us." Victoria stroked her hand over his moustache. "I suppose we better leave as soon as possible."

"As much as it pains me to say, you are correct."

She got up, and Diego couldn't resist looking at her shapes in the little daylight that poured in through the small windows before he got up and gathered his clothes that lay scattered on the floor. He tried to rub off as much of the half-dried mud as he could. Which had little effect. Diego sighed. "Maria is going to skin me alive when she sees this suit."

Victoria looked at him with a grin. "My clothes aren't much better. You can give me your suit when we get back. I will clean and press it for you, and Maria will never find out."
Diego hesitated.
"It is no problem. I'll do it when there is no one else in the tavern. And hang out to dry in the small back room. Nobody comes there anyway. I can do the pressing in the evening after closing time. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky, and someone will come to visit me."

"I like your way of thinking. I do think Zorro better stop visiting you." While Diego buttoned his shirt and pulled Victoria into his arms again. "We don't want to cause gossip."

"Hmm," Victoria growled, disgruntled.

"You know what, maybe don Diego can sleep in the tavern sometime because it is too late to return to the hacienda? Too scared of being mugged? What do you think of that idea?"

As a reward for his proposal, Victoria tiptoed and kissed him. "I look forward to it."

Half an hour later, they were on their way. It was only a few miles to Los Angeles.
At Diego's request, they would ride to the hacienda first.
During the long conversations between nightly lovemaking, Diego told her his secrets. About the cave and many of the mysteries concerning Zorro.
It wasn't hard for Victoria to persuade Diego to show her his hiding place first. For safety, they entered through the back entrance.

"Wow," was her first reaction. "This looks even more mysterious than I imagined."

Diego petted Toronado and supplied the horse with fresh water. He looked troubled.

"What is it?" Victoria asks seeing the worried look on his face.

"It is nothing like Felipe to leave Toronado unkempt. Especially, as he knows, I was not around."

Victoria had moved further into the cave, running her fingers over the mahogany desk.

Diego is still busy with Toronado, who apparently didn't like the unexpected intruder in his stable. The proud stallion shook his head, stamped his hoof on the ground and neighed.
"Amigo, she is a good person." Diego soothed the stallion in a comforting voice. Toronado acted even wilder instead of calming down.
Then his gaze falls on an envelope. Diego picks it up, opens the letter.

Victoria sees how a corner of his mouth starts to tremble.
"Is there something wrong?" she asks, concerned, crossing the cave in his direction.

"Those men from yesterday. According to Felipe, they pose as workmen, but they indeed are criminals. Time for Zorro, I suppose."

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When Victoria goes to bed at night, she doesn't expect to get much sleep. As her head was too full of what happened in the past twenty-four hours. Luckily, they had gone to the cave first. Zorro had made it just in time to save Felipe. The men had managed to steal the bounty money of Zorro from the vault after they held Mendoza hostage all night. Fortunately, thanks to Zorro, it all ended well. Zorro had neatly delivered the criminals to the cartel. Sergeant Mendoza could brag to his heart's content how he had resisted his captors almost all night. And the stolen money was recovered.
A soft tap on the window shook Victoria out of her thoughts. She picked up the candle from the table and went to the window to see what was going on.
Pleasantly surprised, she saw the black outline of her hero.
She quickly opened the window, and Zorro slid inside.
"I thought I could no longer hope for unexpected visits," Victoria said with a tease in her voice after Diego kissed her passionately.

"This is Zorro's last visit to you. I wanted to give you something."

Now her eye falls on a small box he had in his hands.

"Victoria, I know this is not the proper way of doing it. And I doubt we'll ever do anything the way it should." Diego opened the box, and the most beautiful ring Victoria had ever seen got revealed.
"This ring belonged to my mother. To be honest, I have no idea when you can wear my ring out in the open. However, I hope you will accept it as a symbol of my love."

"Idiot," Victoria said tenderly, as she slid down into his arms. "You don't have to ask."

Diego put the ring on her finger and kissed her hand.
"Victoria, Love is more than just a feeling.
It is holding on when things get tough. Fighting for the one person who makes your heart beat faster for no reason whatsoever. It is being unable to explain why you can't give up.
It is believing in something, someone, just because.
I love you just because you are you.
Thank you, Victoria. For believing in me. For loving me."

Victoria was speechless, looking from the ring to the eyes of the man in front of her. It took a few moments before she could say, "Loving you is so easy.
Diego, will you stay with me?"
She could tell it was hard for Diego to reject her question.

"Tempting, but better not. Toronado is waiting for me, and I don't want to risk getting caught in your room dressed as Zorro. I promise you," he kissed her hand and looked at her intensely. "Soon, I will never leave you again."

Victoria nodded.

"Sweet dreams, my love. I'll come by for lunch tomorrow."

After one last kiss, he disappeared into the night. Victoria couldn't help but look blissfully at the ring on her finger and grin.

The following morning, couldn't pass soon enough for Victoria. At one of the tables, a small group of lancers listened to Mendoza tell his story again. The men took it easy with their patrols and the perpetual search for Zorro now de Soto was on his way to Monterey. He had only been gone four days, so it could be another two weeks before the alcalde came back, and the whole pueblo came to a rest.

There wasn't a peon or farmer who didn't know about de Soto being away. Making living in Los Angeles a little easier for a while. Until he returned, that was. They didn't have to worry about paying the taxes on time or risking getting arrested for some nonsensical reason.
The sergeant was also a lot more lenient about the tavern opening times. All of which was conducive to her sales. And Victoria found it comforting to think that Diego needed to be a little less wary for a while.

At noon, Victoria had brought the order to some to feed some guests. The small de la Vega carriage did indeed ride into the plaza. Don Alejandro and Felipe sat in the back, and Diego drove the carriage.
The carriage came to a stop near her. Don Alejandro waved. "Buenos días, Victoria."

"Buenos días, señores." Victoria walked down the porch, and Felipe helped don Alejandro out of the carriage, holding a cane.
"It pleases me to see you are back on your feet again."

Alejandro uttered, leaning on his cane. "Yes, it has taken long enough. Doctor Hernandez allows me to walk again if I take it easy and don't ride a horse."

"Very wise. " agreed Victoria.

"What does that doctor know about it anyway? I was riding a horse when he couldn't even crawl."

Diego glanced up and said nothing more. Victoria grinned inwardly.
Apparently, the father and son had argued on the subject before leaving for the pueblo.
"Gosh," Victoria said innocently. "I had estimated doctor Hernandez was older than you."

Diego said unobtrusively. "He is. Almost ten years."

Don Alejandro wanted to respond to the comment but then changed his mind. "Let's sit down, Diego told me you came with him to Santa Paula, and the conversation went well. I'm curious about your side of the story. You know how Diego is. I'd like to hear the details, too."

"That, and the walls of his room came at him," Diego mentioned while he was supporting his father as don Alejandro struggled up the two steps of her porch.

Mendoza, who had come out as soon as he noticed that the de la Vega men had arrived, was so helpful in moving a chair back so that Don Alejandro could easily take a seat.
Felipe, meanwhile, had grabbed a stool to put the leg on.

"I don't need that. Take it away." Don Alejandro grumbled.

"Father, you know what we agreed. Doctor Hernandez told you to keep your leg up as much as possible," Diego remembered his father while he leaned over to push the stool closer.

Don Alejandro looked annoyed at his son. "Do you think we used to be so prone in the military? I've met men who walked all day packed with a sprained ankle."

"Yes, father, you already said so. But we are not in the army at the moment. And you promised to take goog care of yourself."

Victoria laughed at the men arguing. "Let me pour you something to drink. I just made a fresh pitcher of lemonade."

"Please, Victoria." Diego sat down, Felipe took a seat on the opposite side. Don Alejandro had given up his protest.

"Santa Paula, you said." Mendoza couldn't pass up this opportunity to be invited to a free lunch.

Diego explained to the sergeant. "Yes, the King's emissary is there at the moment in transit to Monterey. I had an encounter yesterday to discuss the problems in Los Angeles."

The sergeant had a grin on his face. "Oh, don Diego, you don't worry about that. As you know, the alcalde is also on his way to Monterey at the moment. I am sure he will inform the governor of all the problems in detail."

"My son was in Santa Paula to report the problems our alcalde is causing to our pueblo." Don Alejandro informed the sergeant and acting alcalde.

"O, um, yes, there are some little problems, of course. But the alcalde is doing his best, I suppose." The sergeant muttered, clearly doubting he was telling the truth.

Diego gestured at Mendoza and said. "Sergeant, why don't you join us for lunch."
Victoria came over with three glasses of lemonade.
"Señorita Victoria, the good sergeant here will keep us company during lunch," Diego told her. Mendoza didn't know how fast he had to take the last unoccupied seat.

"Gracias, don Diego. I heard today's special is tamales."

Victoria took the order routinely. As she walked back in, she thought it was funny. Diego had told her why he was so eager to offer the sergeant a meal. The man was an inexhaustible source of classified information.
Unbeknownst to Mendoza, he was a spy for the man his supervisor considered the most dangerous criminal in California.
She knew that Mendoza was more realistic about Zorro. Although, the sergeant had no clue that he was unwittingly helping his official arch-rival. Secretly, Mendoza admired and liked Zorro.
Victoria filled a glass with lemonade and brought it to the sergeant.

Mendoza was just telling Diego and don Alejandro about his heroic performance the day before.
Diego said how brave he thought his friend was.

A moment later, Victoria walked out onto the porch again. This time, her hands filled with two servings of tamales. Pilar followed her with the rest of the order.

Don Alejandro asked curiously. "Señorita Escalante, please tell me what did you think of the emissary."

Victoria thought about what she was going to say before she uttered. "He seemed like a sensible and reasonable man. He was willing to listen to our story and has promised to investigate whether what we have said is correct."

Mendoza swallowed a mouthful of tamales and looked a bit unhappy. "Eh, the alcalde won't be so happy about that."

Diego slapped the sergeant friendly on his shoulder. "No, I don't think so either. But look at it this way, sergeant. The emissary seemed an honest man to both Victoria and me. If he does as he promised, he will also judge de Soto fairly for his actions."

"Uh, si." Mendoza rose to his feet. "I think I'm going to see how far I am with the to-do list the alcalde gave me. Excuse me." He trotted toward the office in a bit of a hurry.

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